Means for regulating the expression of mechanical musical instruments.



No. 742,760. PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

E. S. VOTEY. MEANS FOR REGULA'IING THE EXPRESSION OF MECHANICAL MUSICALINSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1903. N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

No. 742,760. PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903. E. S. VOTEY. MEANS FOR REGULATINGTHE EXPRESSION OF MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED we. 21, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

Invenfor J an T765 UNITED STATES Patented October 27, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN S. VOTEY, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN ACORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

MEANS FOR REGULATING THE EXPRESSION OF MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,760, dated October27, 1903. Application filed August 21, 1903. Serial No. 170,351. (Nomodel) Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means forRegulating the Expression of Mechanical Musical Instruments,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for regulating theexpression of mechanical musical instruments according to the will ofthe operator to cause such instruments to produce a loud, soft,'orintermediate expression; and it has for its object to provide novel,simple, and satisfactory means for this purpose.

The invention is intended for use, particularly though not exclusively,in mechanical piano-players, and while said invention will behereinafter referred to with particular reference to such mechanicalplayers it will be understood that it is not by reason thereofrestricted to such use, the illustrated example being directed merely asthe statute requires to the best-known embodiment of the invention.

To the end stated the invention consists in the novel combination andarrangement of elements hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a mechanicalmusical-instrument player embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is afragmentary sectional view illustrating part of a vacuum-boxwhichconstitutes an element of the means for selectively cutting theexhauster-assisters into and out of operation and two of the valvemechanisms controlling the communication of said exhauster-assisterswith said vacuum-box. Fig. 3 is an ele- 'vation illustrating theslide-gate for cutting the exhauster-assisters into and out ofoperation. Fig. 4c is a plan view showing the series ofexhauster-assisters operatively connected with the pneumatic exhauster.

In the following specification a description of the best-knownembodiment of my invention-towit,that adapted for operation in amechanical musical instrument organized on the vacuum or exhaustsystem-will be referred to,without, however, restricting the inventionto such particular embodiment, because the invention resides in improvedmeans for regu lating or modifying the expression al function ofautomatic musical instruments irrespective of the particular instrumentin which it may be embodied.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral l designates the usual or anysuitable tracker-board, and 2 a perforated music-sheet which is causedto operatively pass said tracker-board-for example, from a roll 3 to aroll 4, as shown. The ducts of the trackerboard communicate in anysuitable manner, as by means of flexible tubes 5, with an action-box 6,(which may be of any approved or known construction,) that hasindependent valved communication with a predetermined number ofkey-pneumatics 7, the latter having operative communication with fingersS, that are caused to actuate the keys 9 of a musical instrument forinstance, the keys of a pianothe arrangement beingsuch,for example, andas is usual, wherein atmospheric pressure, admitted through thenote-perform tions of the music-sheet, the ducts of the tracker-board,and the tubes, to the actionbox, so dispose the controlling-valves ofthe key-pneumatics that the latter are in a state to be exhausted oftheir contained air, whereby they are collapsed, and in collapsing causetheir respective key-actuating fingers to opcrate.

The action-box 6 has communicationsuch, for instance, as by way ofpasssages 1O ll-with a key-pneumatic exhauster 12, provided with asuitable type of expandingspring 12 and having communication by way of aport 13 with a vacuum or, as it is commonly termed, wind chest 14, inwhich operative vacuum is maintained by the usual or any suitable pumpsor vacuum-maintainer 15'. A cut-off valve 16 is interposed in the lineof communication between the action-box and keyneumatics and theexhauster, the office of which is to close the communication to enable asheet of music to be rewound after having been played without causingthe operation of the apparatus.

As thus far described, the apparatus is of any usual or suitable type.

Opera'tively connected with the exhauster 12, as by means of straps 12is a series of eXhauster-assisters 17, consisting, as shown in thepresent example of my invention, of bellows, which work when broughtintooperation selectively, in succession, or multiple, as hereinafterdescribed, to assist the spring 12 in expanding the exhauster, wherebythe latter operates with greater power or pull, causing thekey-actuating fingers to impart a more vigorous touch to the key andresultingin the enunciation of alouder tone. The exhauster-assistershave communication by independent passages 18 with a series ofvalve-controlled chambers 19 in a valve-casing 20, each of which isarranged to control a double-acting valve 21, adapted at one side toopen and close communication between the exhauster-assisters and theatmosphere and at the othersideto open andclosecommunication betweensaid eXhauster-assisters and a vacuum-boX 22 in the valve-casing,whichvacu umbox communicates byapassage 22 andis common to all the chambers19 and the passages leading therefrom to the exhauster-assisters. Asshown, these valves are operated by means of pneumatics 23, attached tothe stems of the valves, and cover independent passages 24 in thevalve-casing. The admission of atmospheric pressure to said passages 24Bis controlled by a slide-gate 25, having a series of ports 26,corresponding in number to the passages 24, and preferably arranged, asshown, to admit atmosheric pressure to or cut it m from said passagesone at a time. In the particular embodiment of the invention shown inthe drawings the ports 26in the slide-gate 25 are so disposed withreference to the passages 24., leading to the pneumatics 23, thatoperate the valves 21, that on manipulation of the said slide-gate saidpassages are exposed one at a time, whereby the exhauster-assisters arebrought into operation one at a time; but, as stated herein before,thisf arrangement may be varied and the ports in the slide-gate sodisposed that two or more eXhauster-assisters may, if desired, bebrought into operation, said difference in arrangement being a meremodification or variation of the arrangement shown in the drawings andwithin the range of the skill or judgment of the mechanic.

In operation, according to the particular embodiment of the inventionshown in the drawings, the exhauster 12 when the exhauster-assisters arecut out of operation by the slide-gate acts in the usual manner tocollapse the key-pnenmatics, exerting a minimum influence on thekey-actuating fingers in so doing. When a more forceful touch of thekeys by said fingers is desired, one or more of the eXhauster-assistersare brought into play in the following manner: The slidegate is adjustedto open one or more of the passages 24 to atmospheric pressure, whichatmospheric pressure acting on the pneumatic diaphragms 23 lifts thedouble-acting valve or valves 21 and closes communication of thecorresponding chamber or chambers 19 from the atmosphere and at the sametime places said chamber or chambers and the communicating exhausterassister or assisters in circuit with the vacuum-box 22 and vacuumchest14. The contained body of air in said selected assister or assisters isnow withdrawn by the pump mechanism or vacuummaintainer 15, and saidassister or assisters, according to a well-known law of physics,immediately and forcefully collapses or collapse, and by reason of theoperative connection thereof with the exhauster assists or assist inexpanding the latter, causing it to collapse the operative key pneumaticorpneumatics with increased energy, resulting in an increased force oftouch of the key-actuating lingers upon the keys, whereby the expressionof the tone produced by the instrument is altered. It will be obviousthat with the assistance rendered as described the expanding orkey-pneumatic-collapsing action of the exhauster will vary according tothe number of exhauster-assisters brought into action, with the resultthat the expression is regulated or controlled in accordance there-,

with.

Air-seep holes 29 are provided in the valvecasing to affordcommunication between the vacuum-box and each of the passages 24,whereby when the said passages 24 are closed by the slide-gateequilibrium orequalizationof vacuum on opposite sides of thediaphragmpneumatics 23 is established, permitting the valves 21 underthe influence of atmospheric pressure to close the communication betweenthe eXhauster-assisters and the vacuum-box. In this position of theports air immediately fills the exhauster-assisters, leaving them in aposition to be called into operation in the manner hereinbeforedescribed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In mechanicalmusical instruments, the combination with a key-pneumatic exhauster, ofa series of exhauster-assisters operatively connected thereto, and meansforselectively cutting said eXhauster-assisters into and out ofoperation.

2. In mechanical musical instruments, the combination with akey-pneumatic exhauster, of exhauster-assister bellows operativelyconnected thereto, and means for selectivelycutting saideXhauster-assisters into and out of operation.

3. In mechanical musical instruments, the combination with a key-pneumatic exhanster, of a series of eXhauster-assister bellows operativelyconnected thereto, a vacuum-maintainer communicating with said eXhausterand exhauster-assisters, and means for cutting said exhausters into andoutof operation.

4. In mechanical musical instruments, the combination withkey-pneumatics and a vacuum maintainer, of a key pneumatic exhauster,and eXhauster-assisters operatively connected with said exhauster, andmeans for selectively placing said eXhauster-assisters IIO under theinfluence of said vacuum-mainl tainer, and means for selectivelyoperating 10 tainer, substantially as described. the valves thereof.

5. In mechanical musical instruments, the In testimony whereof I havehereunto set combination with key-pneumatics anda vacumy hand inpresence of two subscribing witum maintainer, of a key-pneumatic eX-nesses. hauster, eXhauster-assisters operatively con- 1 nectedtherewith, valve-controlled means for Witnesses: controlling thecommunication of said ex- W. C. MANSFIELD, hauster-assisters with saidvacuum-main- XV. H. ALFRING.

EDWIN S. VOTEY.

